Drowning Detection and Response System

ABSTRACT

A system for detecting and responding to potential drowning situations in particularly adapted to shallow pools and bathing tubs for infants and small children. One or more motion sensors detect potential drowning patterns based on intervals of above-water movements followed by cessation of such movements. Upon detection of a potential drowning pattern, the system implements a succession of responsive modes, including an alarm mode and culminating in a rescue mode, in which the water is rapidly drained from the pool/tub to prevent a submerged child from drowning.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of systems for monitoringswimming and wading pools to detect and prevent drowning. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a monitoring system forsmall pools and tubs, which not only provides visual and audiblewarnings of potential drowning situations, but also implements automaticresponsive action to prevent a drowning by quickly draining the waterfrom the pool/tub.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of accidental death in theU.S. Of these drowning victims, 20% are children under the age of 14.Even nonfatal drowning incidents can result in severe brain damage andlong-term disabilities. While children are usually supervised in largerswimming pools, children in small “kiddie” pools and infant bathing tubsare sometimes left unattended. Even a few inches of water may be enoughto drown an infant or small child who has fallen in face down.

While devices exist to monitor pools and set off visual and/or audiblealarms when a potential drowning is detected, these systems all dependupon the proximity of an adult rescuer to see/hear and respond to thealarms. But there is a very tight rescue timeframe of about two minutes,after which time the chances of saving the child and avoiding seriousbrain damage rapidly diminish.

“Kiddie” pools and infant bathtubs are small enough that it's feasibleto fully drain and empty them within the two-minute rescue window. Thisrequires that the drain opening be enlarged from the ¾″ to 1″ drainplugs commonly provided in such pools/tubs. It also requires a systemthat will automatically open the drain once a potential drowning hasbeen discovered. It's the purpose of the present invention to providesuch a system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises an enclosure for a small volume ofwater, such as a “kiddie” pool or infant bath tub, with one or moredrain outlets sized to completely empty the pool, by gravity flow alone,within two minutes of the onset of a potential drowning situation.

The pool/tub has one or more motion sensors, which are interfaced with amicroprocessor and are configured and aligned to monitor activity abovethe water line. When motion indicative of a child in the pool/tub hasbeen detected for a specified “pre-alert” period of time, for example 30seconds, the microprocessor puts the system into an “alert” mode, suchthat if motion ceases for more than a pre-determined “pre-alarm” period,such as 30 seconds, the microprocessor initiates an “alarm” mode, inwhich visual and audible alarms are activated.

If detected above-water motion resumes within another pre-definedincremental “pre-rescue” period, such as 30 seconds, the alarms arede-activated and the system resets to “alert” mode. But if above-watermotion does not resume within the “pre-rescue” period, themicroprocessor initiates the system's “rescue” mode, in which thevisual/audible alarms continue and the drain outlet(s) is/are opened,allows the water to freely discharge and flow out of the pool/tub.

The discharge rate in “rescue” mode will determine the size of the drainoutlet(s). The design discharge rate is based on an overall two-minute“rescue” interval, which includes the programmed “pre-alarm” and“pre-rescue” periods. Therefore, for the example in which both“pre-alarm” and “pre-rescue” periods are set at 30 seconds, the netdischarge interval must be no more than one minute. If the subjectpool/tub contains 12 cubic feet of water, a minimum discharge rate of0.2 cubic feet per second (cfs) is required. With a safety factor oftwo, a design discharge rate of 0.4 cfs is appropriate. ApplyingBernoulli's equation, based on an initial water depth of one foot, thearea of the discharge outlet needed to achieve the design discharge rateis about 20 square inches, which could, for example, be a 5-inchdiameter round outlet or a 4½-inch square outlet.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the opening and closing ofthe drain outlet(s) is controlled by a solenoid-activated latchmechanism. Optionally, the systems “alarm” includes a telephonic and/ortext warning message to pre-selected contacts. Another optional featureis an application software for “smart” mobile telephones, which allows aremote party to monitor the system's status, activate one or moreperipheral video cameras to view streaming real-time video of theincident, initiate the system's “rescue” mode, or reset the system to“alert” mode.

The foregoing summarizes the general design features of the presentinvention. In the following sections, specific embodiments of thepresent invention will be described in some detail. These specificembodiments are intended to demonstrate the feasibility of implementingthe present invention in accordance with the general design featuresdiscussed above. Therefore, the detailed descriptions of theseembodiments are offered for illustrative and exemplary purposes only,and they are not intended to limit the scope either of the foregoingsummary description or of the claims which follow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary child's wading pool with adrowning detection and response system in the “alert” mode, according tothe preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an exemplary child's wading pool with adrowning detection and response system in the “rescue” mode, accordingto the preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a detail perspective view of an exemplary discharge outlet inthe closed position with a exemplary solenoid-actuated latch mechanism,according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a detail perspective view of an exemplary discharge outlet inthe open position, according to the preferred embodiments of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 5 is a process flowchart of exemplary operative system modesaccording to the preferred embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary “kiddie” pool is depicted with anexemplary drowning detection and response system, according to thepreferred embodiments of the present invention 10. The pool enclosure 11contains a volume of water 12 filling it to a certain waterline 13. Twomotion sensors 14 are positioned to detect motion above the waterline 13on either side of the pool 11.

A drain outlet 15 in the side of the pool enclosure 11 has a drainopening 16 into which tightly fits a drain plug 17. The drain plug 17 isrotably attached to the outer wall of the pool enclosure 11 by a lowerhinge 18, and it is secured in the closed position by a latch mechanism19. As best seen in FIG. 3, the latch mechanism 19 is actuated by asolenoid 20, such that the solenoid, when energized, holds the latch 19in place, thereby keeping the drain plug 17 in a closed position. Whende-energized, solenoid 20 releases the latch 19 to retract or rotate soas to allow the drain plug 17 to freely rotate downward into an openposition, as depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3. The drain plug 17 has around itsperiphery a flexible water-tight plug gasket 21 that seals tightly witha conjugate drain gasket 22 around the periphery of the drain opening16. As shown in FIG. 4, the drain opening 16 is preferably protected bya screen 29 to prevent objects inside the pool enclosure 11, such astoys and floats, from entering the drain opening 16 and blocking it.Enclosing panels 30 are preferably also placed around the drain outlet15, so as to prevent objects or structures near the drain outlet 15 frominterfering with the opening of the drain plug 17.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the system also comprises an alarm light 23and an alarm horn 24, as well as a manual reset button 25, and anoptional video camera 26, which is aimed at or scans the interior of thepool 11. The motion sensors 11, the solenoid 20, the alarm light 23 andhorn 24, the reset button 25, and the video camera 26 are all interfacedwith and controlled by a system microprocessor 27.

In programmed operation, as illustrated in the flowchart of FIG. 4, themotion sensors 14 are initially in a default “pre-alert” mode 101 untilmotion above the waterline 13 has been detected for a specified“pre-alert” interval 102, as in the case of the child depicted inFIG. 1. Upon such initial detection 102, the microprocessor 27 puts thesystem into an “alert” mode 103, in which a detected cessation of motionabove the waterline 13 for a specified “pre-alarm” interval 104 willcause the microprocessor 27 to initiate a system “alarm” mode 105.

In the “alarm” mode 105, the alarm light 23 is flashing and the alarmhorn 24 sounds. The motion sensors 14 continue to scan for motion abovethe waterline 13, and if such motion resumes within a specified“pre-rescue” interval 106, the alarms 23 24 are de-activated and themicroprocessor resets the system to “alert” mode 105. If detectedabove-waterline motion does not resume within the “pre-rescue” interval106, the microprocessor initiates the system's “rescue” mode 107, asdepicted in FIG. 2. In the “rescue” mode 107, the alarms 23 24 continueand the solenoid 20 is de-energized so that it releases the latch 19,thereby causing the drain plug 17 to rotate downward under the pressureof the pool water 12 so as to open the drain outlet 15 and allow thewater 12 to flow freely out of the drain opening 16.

As previously discussed, the drain outlet is sized so as to achieve adesign “rescue” discharge rate, at which rate the pool water 12 will becompletely evacuated within a specified overall “rescue” interval, whichincludes the programmed “pre-alarm” 104 and “pre-rescue” 106 intervals.As discussed previously, the overall “rescue” interval, during which achild is potentially submerged, should not exceed a maximum of twominutes.

The manual reset button 15 serves to restore the system to the“pre-alert” mode 101 once the child has left the pool 11, or toterminate an initiated “alarm” or “rescue” mode 108 once an adultresponder has arrived on the scene.

In another embodiment, multiple motion sensors 14, in conjunction withthe video camera 26, monitor the individual movements of multiplechildren using the same pool 11, so that cessation of above-waterlinemotion for one or more of the children will cause the microprocessor toinitiate the “pre-alarm” mode 104 and subsequent responsive modes asdescribed above, regardless of continued movement of remaining childrenin the pool 11.

In yet another embodiment, the system microprocessor 27 includes awireless telephonic component 28, which is activated in the system's“alarm” mode 105 to send a warning message by voice and/or text topre-programmed contacts. Another optional system feature is a remotemonitoring application software for “smart” mobile telephones, whichenables a remote user to monitor the system's status and view real-timestreaming video from the system's video camera 26. The remote monitoringapplication software can also enable the remote user to initiate thesystem's “alarm” and “rescue” modes 105 107, or remotely reset thesystem to the “alert” or “pre-alert” modes 103 101.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendisclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art willappreciate that many additions, modifications and substitutions arepossible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the presentinvention as defined by the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for detecting and responding to asituation of potential drowning, comprising: a volume of water containedwithin an enclosure, which defines an interior and an exterior, whereinthe volume of water fills the interior of the enclosure up to awaterline; one or more motion sensors positioned to detect movementabove the waterline and able to distinguish intervals of movement abovethe waterline from intervals of movement cessation above the waterline;one or more drain outlets, which fluidly communicate between theinterior and the exterior of the enclosure, wherein each drain outlethas a releasable drain plug, and wherein each drain plug has anunreleased closed position, in which the volume of water is retainedwithin the interior of the enclosure, and wherein each drain plug has areleased open position, in which the volume of water freely flows fromthe interior of the enclosure through a drain opening to the exterior ofthe enclosure; and wherein the motion sensors electrically communicatewith the drain outlets, such that a detection by the motion sensors of apotential drowning pattern, comprising one or more intervals of movementabove the waterline followed by one or more intervals of movementcessation above the waterline, causes the motion sensors to send one ormore electrical signals to the drain outlets to effect a release of thedrain plugs to the open position, thereby preventing the potentialdrowning by emptying the volume of water from the interior of theenclosure.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or moreaudible or visual alarms, or one or more combinations of audible andvisual alarms, wherein the motion sensors electrically communicate withthe alarms, such that the detection of the potential drowning patterncauses the motion sensors to send one more electrical signals to thealarms to effect an activation of the alarms.
 3. The system of claim 2,further comprising a system microprocessor, which interfaces with themotion sensors and with the drain outlets and with the alarms, and whichtriggers the release of the drain plugs and the activation of thealarms.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the closed position and theopen position of the drain plugs is controlled by a solenoid-activatedmechanism.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the microprocessorinitiates one or more system modes in response to the detection by themotion sensors of the potential drowning pattern.
 6. The system of claim5, wherein the system modes include an alarm mode, in which the alarmsare activated, followed by a rescue mode, in which the drain plugs arereleased.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein the drain opening is sizedso as to achieve a design rescue discharge rate, at which rate thevolume of pool water will be completely evacuated from the interior ofthe enclosure within a specified overall rescue interval, not to exceedtwo minutes.
 8. The system of claim 7, further comprising one or morevideo cameras, wherein the video cameras, in conjunction with the motionsensors, distinguish movements of multiple individuals within theenclosure, and wherein the microprocessor initiates one or more of thesystem modes in response to the detection by the motion sensors and thevideo cameras of the potential drowning pattern with respect to one ormore individuals.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the microprocessorincludes a wireless telephonic component, wherein the wirelesstelephonic component is activated in the alarm mode to send a warningmessage, by voice or text or a combination of voice and text, topre-selected contacts.
 10. The system of claim 9, further comprising anapplication software, wherein the application software enables a mobiletelephone to remotely monitor the system modes in real time and toremotely view real-time streaming video from the video cameras.
 11. Thesystem of claim 10, wherein the application software also enables themobile telephone to remotely initiate and terminate the alarm mode orthe rescue mode of the system.